Ms Marvel is finally here! 

Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel/Kamala Khan in Marvel Studios' MS. MARVEL, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.

The Disney+ Original show started streaming on June 8. Ms Marvel brings to the screen the Marvel superhero, Ms Marvel. Kamala Khan is a sixteen year old Desi American teen who is the biggest fan of Captain Marvel. The show follows her journey to becoming her own superhero. Here are some things we loved from the first episode of the series. (Disclaimer: minor spoilers ahead)

The meta-ness of the show 

From the beginning of the show, there are endless references to the Avengers. This obviously makes a lot of sense because a big part of Kamala’s character is her love of the Avengers but especially Captain Marvel.The first episode revolves around Kamala wanting to attend the first ever AvengersCon. It is a celebration of the Avengers and all their heroics.  However, there are the other little things like the shoutout to the creators and writers of Ms Marvel like Sana Amanat, G. Willow Wilson, Adrian Alphona. Their names appear on the school plaque. Then there is the fact that the school counsellor’s initials are GW. 

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Then there is the absolute Desiness of the show

This year marks 20 years since the release of the absolutely fantastic Bend It Like Beckham. And while it can’t be certain, the montage in the first episode seems like a homage to the movie. Kamala’s brother is getting married so she and her mother go shopping for the wedding. And the scene seems like such a throwback of the scenes from Bend It Like Beckham. There is also the way Kamala’s mum insists on sending Kamala’s friend, Bruno home with tons of food. There is also the unique and so familiar brown parent guilt-tripping. It was so cool to see the way the family were just so normal and relatable. 

The emergence of the powers

So spoiler alert but Kamala gets her powers in the first episode already. There has been a lot written about how her powers differ from the comic books. In the comic books, she is an Inhuman whose powers are latent. In the show, she gets her powers from a bangle that her Nani sent to their family. There is also a story behind the bangle and her Nani which viewers are likely to find out as the series progresses. It’s also going to be interesting to see how she navigates her powers given that there isn’t likely to be an appearance from any other superhero as a guide or mentor. However, the fact that she gets her powers from something that was her nani’s is going to make for a far more interesting story than the appearance of any of the other Avengers. Also it’s going to be a thrilling thing to see how her powers develop and what exactly they are.

Another cool thing about the first episode is the cinematography

There are the brilliant graphics that accompany Kamala and Bruno as they discuss ideas for their costumes for AvengersCon. Then there is the buzz and atmosphere of the shops and streets during Kamala and her mother’s shopping trip. There is the fantastic soundtrack which already from the first episode is great. It’s a cool mix of live action and animation that all comes together for a great all-round first episode. 

No review of Ms Marvel will be complete without talking about Iman Vellani, the lead actor. Vellani encapsulates Kamala Khan brilliantly. She manages to pull off her vulnerability, her passion and her essence fantastically. The rest of the season is sure to be a treat if her character development in the first episode alone is anything to go by.

Ms Marvel season one is a six-part series that started streaming on June 8. The final episode will air in July. 

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